WDEF-FM

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WDEF-FM
Broadcast areaSoutheast Tennessee, Northwest Georgia, Northeast Alabama
Frequency92.3 MHz (HD Radio)
BrandingSunny 92.3
Programming
FormatAdult contemporary
Ownership
Owner
History
First air date
September 15, 1964; 61 years ago (1964-09-15)
Call sign meaning
From its former sister stations, though there is no meaning to the call sign itself[1]
Technical information[2]
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID57827
ClassC0
ERP100,000 watts
HAAT360 m (1,181 ft)
Transmitter coordinates
35°08′06″N 85°19′26″W / 35.135°N 85.324°W / 35.135; -85.324
Links
Public license information
WebcastListen live
Websitewww.sunny923.com

WDEF-FM (92.3 MHz "Sunny 92.3") is a commercial radio station in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The station is owned by Bahakel Communications and airs an adult contemporary radio format, switching to Christmas music for much of November and December. WDEF-FM advertises itself as the "listening at work" station. Its studios are on Broad Street in Chattanooga.

WDEF-FM has an effective radiated power (ERP) of 100,000 watts.[3] Its signal can be heard around Southeast Tennessee, Northwest Georgia and Northeast Alabama. The transmitter is on Hampton Road in Signal Mountain, Tennessee, co-located with the tower for former sister station WDEF-TV Channel 12, along Walden Ridge.

History

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WDEF-FM signed on the air on September 15, 1964.[4] It was owned by noted broadcaster Roy H. Park. At first it simulcast co-owned WDEF (1370 AM; now WXCT); by the late 1960s, it had separate programming.

Park installed beautiful music formats on most of his FM stations, and WDEF-FM played instrumental cover versions of popular songs, as well as Broadway and Hollywood show tunes. As the 1980s ended, the format was seeing its audience grow older, while most advertisers seek young and middle aged listeners.

In the early 1990s, WDEF-FM made the transition from easy listening music to soft adult contemporary. Over time, WDEF-FM shifted to mainstream AC music.

Noted morning drive time disc jockey Luther Masingill was WDEF's morning host from December 31, 1940, until his death in 2014.[5] He was on the air longer than any other host in U.S. radio history. He began working at WDEF AM and moved to WDEF-FM when the AM switched to a sports format. In 2012, Masingill was one of the first inductees into the new Tennessee Radio Hall of Fame. On November 12, 2012, Masingill was one of several radio personalities inducted into the national Radio Hall of Fame at a ceremony at the Chicago Museum of Broadcast Communications.

References

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  1. ^ "Engel Announces Radio Station Site: WDEF, City's 3d Broadcast Outlet, Will Be Located in Volunteer Life Building". The Chattanooga Times. October 6, 1940. p. 3.
  2. ^ "Facility Technical Data for WDEF-FM". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  3. ^ FCC.gov/WDEF-FM
  4. ^ Information from Broadcasting Yearbook 1966 page B-137
  5. ^ "News 12's Luther Masingill Passes Away At Age 92". WDEF-TV. Archived from the original on October 20, 2014. Retrieved October 20, 2014.
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